Archive for September 2012

Now that you’re getting married to the love of your life, you want all of your friends and loved ones to be part of your bridal party. You thought you could have a large group of your sisters and best friends in your bridal party – but unfortunately, it’s just not something you can do anymore. Perhaps the budget doesn’t allow for such a large bridal party, or maybe your bridal party will far outnumber his groomsmen.

Whatever the case may be, you need to learn how to limit the size of your bridal party without putting precious friendships and bonds at risk.

Not to worry – we’ve outlined the tips and techniques that will let you limit the size of your bridal party without risking the relationships you love.

Have a Destination Wedding

At first glance, destination weddings might seem like an expensive endeavor. After all, you have to plan for hotels, plane tickets, and a number of other costly expenses. But destination weddings also have an amazing ability to cut down on the number of guests who can afford to attend. No matter where the destination, having a wedding with only one hundred guests is a lot more affordable than a hometown wedding with 250 guests!

A destination wedding can help you limit the size of your bridal party because not all of your friends and loved ones will be able to attend. Therefore, you can place the blame on budget limitations. Speaking of which, that brings us to our next technique…

Blame Your Budget

If you want to save face, you can always blame your budget. If you’re worried that loved ones and friends will be hurt that they’re not in the wedding party, you can gently point out that you and your fiancé don’t have enough money for a large bridal party. You can also use this excuse if someone else is paying for your wedding.

Choose Only Family Members

Finally, you can always have a family-only bridal party. This is a great option if you have the good fortune of having too many good friends to choose from. Have your sisters and future sisters-in-law make up your bridal party. That way, your friends won’t be hurt and you’ll be able to make everyone feel valued during your ceremony.

If you really want to involve all of your closest friends in your wedding, consider having some friends read a poem or play a piece of music during your ceremony.

Remember to ‘like’ us on Facebook to get up to 25% off your save the date cards! This offer ends September 30, 2012, so don’t miss out on this great deal!

You’ve got the sparkling diamond engagement ring. You’ve got the venue picked out. You’ve already chosen your bridal party, and you can’t wait to share the most exciting day of your life with your loved ones. But before you can really settle into wedding planning mode, there’s just one more “small” detail you need to settle…

Choosing your perfect wedding dress!

Whether you’ve been dreaming about your wedding dress since you were a little girl or haven’t given it a second thought, choosing the perfect wedding dress is one of the most important things a bride will do. Think of the wedding dress as your show-stopper: choose the right one, and people will be talking about your wedding for years to come.

Ready to choose the perfect wedding dress? Of course you are – and here’s how to do it!

Know Your Body

Choosing a wedding dress is no different than shopping for flattering clothing. In order to pick a dress that will stun your fiancé – as well as everyone else at your wedding – you need to get familiar with your body type. Your wedding dress should tastefully accentuate your shape without taking away from your glowing beauty. For example, if you’re top-heavy, you may want to avoid strapless dresses. Petite brides will look fantastic in dresses with ruffles, while curvier brides will look stunning in A-line gowns. Finally, athletic brides can strut their stuff in mermaid or fit-and-flare designs.

Know Your Budget

Once you have a general idea of what dress type will flatter your figure, you’ll need to set out a budget. Be sure that your budget accurately reflects your financial situation. After all, you don’t want to spend the majority of your wedding budget on your dress – you still have to pay for the venue and catering! If you’re frustrated by a limited budget, be on the lookout for sample sales and flash sales, as you can get designer dresses for dirt-cheap.

Choose the Dress That Makes You Glow

Choosing the perfect wedding dress can be a funny process. Many brides walk into a dress shop with a very specific style in mind, only to be absolutely floored by a completely different dress. Keep an open mind and try on several different styles. The perfect wedding dress for you will make you feel like a glowing goddess – bonus points if it makes your shopping partners cry with happiness!

Don’t forget to ‘like’ us on Facebook to get up to 25% off your save the date cards! This deal ends September 30, 2012, so don’t miss out on this amazing offer!

The man of your dreams just proposed to you with a shining diamond, and you’ve just told your friends and family members the big news. Now that the dust has settled, it’s time to get started on wedding planning – and that includes choosing the loved ones who will make up your bridal party.

For some brides, choosing the bridal party is a simple matter. They’ve had their bridesmaids in mind since they first started dating The One – and it only comes down to making a phone call or sending out an email to the lucky few. But for other brides, choosing the bridal party isn’t so easy. What happens if you have too many great friends to choose from? What if you have several sisters? What happens if your best friend happens to be a man?

Take a deep breath and relax: we’ve outlined the best tips and techniques for choosing your bridal party.

Forget the Rules

If you’re a stickler for tradition, choosing the bridal party will be relatively simple: your closest sister should be your maid of honor, with your remaining sisters and best friends as your bridesmaids. If you don’t have any sisters, your best friend or future sister-in-law should be your maid of honor.

But today’s modern bride doesn’t have to follow these traditional rules. Therefore, don’t feel like you “should” choose your sister over your best friend, despite not being that close to her. Additionally, you don’t have to ignore your best friend just because he happens to be a man. These days, you can have a “man of honor” or as many bridesmaids as you want – it’s all up to you!

Be Diplomatic

If you’re fortunate to be blessed with plenty of best friends and sisters, you’ll need to be diplomatic when selecting your bridal party. If you have to leave some loved ones out, don’t make an announcement on Facebook – this can be very insensitive. Send a polite email or make a phone call. Let your other friends know that you would have loved for them to be bridesmaids, but your budget meant you could only choose a few (this is an especially good excuse if you’re not paying for the wedding). Consider asking them to play another role in your wedding, like reading a poem or playing a solo piece when everyone’s taking their seats at the ceremony.

Now that you know how to choose your bridal party, you can focus on other things – like enjoying being engaged to the love of your life!

Don’t forget to ‘like’ us on Facebook to get up to 25% off your save the date cards! Hurry, this offer ends September 30, 2012, so don’t miss out on this fantastic deal!

For some, wedding planning can be a stressful experience. They approach every aspect of the process with trepidation, stress, and more than a hint of anxiety. They want every detail to be pitch-perfect – and they get very upset when things don’t go their way.

But not you. For you, wedding planning presents an opportunity to throw a fun bash that your loved ones will be talking about for years to come. You know that the wedding doesn’t have to revolve around you – instead, it should be a celebration of the new life you’ll be spending with the partner of your dreams.

If you’re ready to throw a party your friends and family members will never forget, then check out these ideas for a fun wedding.

Incorporate a Fun Theme

Themed weddings can present the perfect opportunity for you and your loved ones to have a blast. Themed weddings also allow you and your sweetheart to plan a ceremony and reception that perfectly reflects the uniqueness of your relationship. For example, if you and your honey love medieval fairs, then consider planning a Renaissance wedding. If you can’t get enough of the Halloween season, why not have a costume wedding and award your guests with prizes for the best costumes? With themed weddings, the only limit is your imagination.

Go Someplace Exotic

If themed weddings aren’t your thing, consider having a destination wedding in a new and exciting location. Your guests will love the opportunity to fly away to a tropical paradise, where romance and fun are practically guaranteed. Don’t forget to offer your guests plenty of options for fun itineraries. After all, you and your honey shouldn’t be the only people who get to enjoy the amenities of a beach wedding!

Plan Out Fun Tours and Activities

Whether you’re getting married in your hometown or having a destination wedding in a romantic city, consider planning out fun tours and activities for your guests. For example, if you’re getting married in the Big Apple, you could go on a tour of the city with your guests or go bar-hopping inTimes Square.

If you’re getting married in your hometown, consider planning a scavenger hunt for your guests. Place the clues in special parts of the town – for example, where you and your man first kissed – and have the prize be a gift basket filled with wine with personalized labels.

No matter what you plan for your wedding, remember that your guests will have the most fun by being around you and your future spouse!

Remember to ‘like’ us on Facebook to get up to 25% off your save the date cards! Hurry, this offer ends September 30, 2012, so don’t miss out on this incredible deal!